The American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons recently submitted a 23-page report to CMS, urging the federal agency to reconsider its proposed global surgery reporting requirements. This proposal is included in the 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
Here's what you need to know:
1. In section 523 of MACRA, Congress required CMS to collect data on surgical services from a "representative sample" of physicians, according to a news release from AANS and CNS. However, rather than determining a representative sample, CMS has issued a proposal that requires all surgeons document the type, level and number of preoperative and postoperative patient visits.
2. Surgeons who oppose this proposal have formed a coalition, which recently conducted a survey of physician responses. The survey, which included more than 7,000 physicians, illustrates the burdens surgical practices anticipate facing, should these reporting requirements be implemented.
3. Among its findings, the survey notes that 85.9 percent of physicians anticipate modifying electronic health record and billing systems and 88.8 percent anticipate incurring additional physician time spend on tracking this information.
4. The survey also found that 40 percent of physicians anticipate these practice changes will cost between $25,000 and $100,000. Fifteen percent anticipate spending more than $100,000 on these practice changes.